───

     "HIMARI, DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THE stones of the three precious children are?!", hotaru questioned, still not believing how foolish his daughter was to accept such conditions.

"no, but I'm sure I can just find some pebbles in our backyard and make them into rubies or something", himari shrugged, making her father facepalm.

"himari, this is serious!! those three stones are buried separately. and no one even knows where they are", hotaru stressed, rubbing his temples, as himari had already packed her bags.

     "it's okay dad. I think it shouldn't be that hard...I mean...I am pretty big brain", himari smiled, shrugging, as she slung her baggage over her shoulder.

the auburn-haired woman also tired her long locks into a tight ponytail, dressing in a black hakama and white nagagi, as she cleared her throat.

"I am nakajima hima, your son", himari sillily grinned.

"well? how do I look and sound?"

hotaru just sighed, shaking his head as he embraced the girl, patting her back.

"are you sure you wish to embark upon this journey? it's still not too late to turn back", hotaru mumbled.

     "yeah...I'll be okay! I brought like a puny knife with me just in case, and plus, I've always been a more hands-on learner", himari replied, making hotaru even more concerned about his daughter's well-being.

     "oh! and I'll also send you postcards, so you'll know where I am and stuff", himari assured, making hotaru let out a weak chuckle.

"it seems like you were just twelve yesterday, and asking for your own set of makeup", hotaru reminisced, to which himari could only nod, as it wasn't actually her that had asked for it.

"aha...yeah yeah, but you know what's even more wack? the fact that I'm twenty now, and I don't need makeup to look fabulous", the woman boasted, making hotaru chuckle.

"indeed...my daughter's very pretty", the man agreed, smiling as he patted himari's head.

"stay safe now. I already had someone prepare a horse for you", hotaru informed.

himari nodded, dipping her head as thanks, as she then ran off towards the side of the nakajima household, where there was a medium-sized barn that housed many horses.

the determined woman decided that she'd leave after dinner, so that there wouldn't be a big commotion, and she wouldn't have to say goodbye and get all emotional with rumi and the rest.

     though sukuna was technically her demon, she didn't feel like forcing him to accompany her, because she casted this upon herself.

     upon entering the barn, himari had to hold her breath, as she was not used to the smell of the gathering of a bunch of animals.

nevertheless, the woman opened a stall, petting the horse from the muzzle up to the forehead, as she grabbed some dry hay and fed him.

     "I'm sorry I'm like not your original owner, but I promise to take good care of you. also, I don't know what she named you, but I'm going to call you marengo — the most famous war horse that belonged to napoleon bonaparte", himari smiled, kissing the horses's muzzle as she clutched onto the bridle, leading him out.

     it wasn't until halfway out the nakajima estate that the woman had suddenly recalled that she can't ride a horse.

"oh my gege...well...if I can drive...I can surely ride a horse...right?", the woman muttered to herself, staring at her horse, who just blinked.

himari deeply sighed.

"okay...umm...I-I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I'm going to try my best to get on top of your back. please don't hate me...I'll buy you carrots", himari huffed out, as she planted one foot on the safety stirrup.

himari's hands gripped onto the saddle, as she tried to hoist her body up, only to tilt sideways, as her body nearly smacked against the ground.

     "you useless woman. can't you even ride a horse?"

     himari furrowed her brows, as with a swift motion, she was suddenly on top of her horse, with a presence sitting right behind her.

"t-tōji?! what are you—"

"you didn't think that we'd just let you have all the fun, did you?", sukuna scoffed, standing beside the horse, as itadori and rumi were waving at the woman.

     "r-rumi?! yūji?! why're you two here too?!"

     "lady himari, need I remind you that you chose me as your personal guard?", itadori grinned.

     "and I'm your personal maid! himari, you can't even make your own food without my help", rumi stated, making himari scoff.

     "it's not my fault that I didn't grow up wanting to be a chef", the woman muttered, making tōji snort.

     "but I do really appreciate you guys accompanying me", himari smiled, scratching the back of her head, as half of them had given her a thumbs up.

"oh, by the way, where's your horse, ryō?"

"hah? none of them are worthy of being my—"

"he scared them away", itadori interrupted, making sukuna scowl and himari stifle a chuckle.

"ryō, come here", himari waved, to which the king of demons had begrudgingly complied, leaning the side of his face towards the woman as she whispered something in his ear.

     as soon as the woman finished speaking, sukuna had flipped out.

     "I THINK THE FUCK NOT!! THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL WOULD I—"

     "soul", himari blankly interrupted, to which sukuna had gritted his teeth together as with a snap of his fingers, a puff of air had surrounded the four.

     once the smoke cleared out, itadori squinted his eyes at what himari was holding.

     "is that...?"

     "presenting you guys with ryō the pink bunny!! isn't he cute?", himari cooed, holding up the red-eyed bunny, that would've scratched himari's face if it weren't for her snuggling her nose into his fur.

     "are you done playing? we should get going", tōji stated.

     "oh yeah! so where are we heading first?", itadori asked.

     "mm...I was thinking that we could just go towards the more common areas of this land. I think that amaterasu might still have some shrines that are built for her, so I'd like to hear the people's opinions and find out more starting from there", himari explained.

"okay! sounds good", itadori agreed, as tōji's arms encased himari, gripping onto the reins as the woman cuddled the bunny.

the five then headed off the nakajima property, heading towards the nearest civilization: the himawari village.